Hello everyone! TheRedCometXIII is back with my second Dtoid blog and first in a new series I will be doing called "Unboxing". In this series I will be reviewing the contents of Special/Limited/Collector's editions of games I own, both old and new. I've always been a fan special editions of games and will more than likely pick up the more expensive version of a game if I have my eye on it, especially if I'm a fan of that particular series. For this review though, that is not the case as I picked up Duke's Balls of Steel for a mere $20 dollars today. Pretty good discount considering it originally retailed for $100. This is going to be a prototype for my future Unboxing's so let me know what you think of the layout. So without further ado, lets get on with the review.

(Please excuse the picture quality, all I have is my shitty cell phone camera)

Man, that's a lot of stuff, but is any of it any good? Also, I must mention that when you open the box you're greeted by one of Duke's signature phrases!

Duke Nukem Bust

This is easily the most prominent piece of this collector's edition, featured right there on the front of the box through a window. The piece itself is made of a plastic, PVC I'm assuming, featuring felt feet and the phrase "Carpe Nukem" on the base. It's okay for what it is, just something to sit on your desk.

Art Book

Surprisingly, this is probably the best part of this package. The art book is a nice hardcover, 100 page showcase of concept art accompanied by snippets and quotes from Gearbox staff artists. I'm actually really surprised; I'd go as far to say this is the best art book since Fallout 3.

Duke Postcards

These are totally pointless. They're just five postcard sized pictures of Duke doing dumb shit like fish for sharks, win a lot of money and go to space. Oddly enough, only one of these pictures are including the artbook.

DKF Logo sticker

Just in case you want to let everyone know you REALLY love Duke you can slap this sticker on your ride. It's pretty damn big as you can see.

Comic Book

A short comic featuring Duke fighting some bi-pedal robot sharks and saving the babes. Nothing real special and the art is ok. Nothing much else to say.

Paper Craft

Ooookay...? You can build a very Minecraft looking Duke with this construction paper template. Reminds me of something you'd get in old Nintendo Power issues. When I saw the words "foldable paper craft" on the box I didn't know what to expect. This is easily the worst part of this package

Duke Poker Chips

I liked these better when they were in Fallout: New Vegas. Just a couple of standard poker chips featuring the Duke emblem. They feel like they're made of the right material and have the right weight. Other than that, pretty ordinary.

Duke Dice

These are pretty cool, a set of dice replacing the 1 side with the Duke logo. They're molded in a translucent orange while the numbers are painted in white. Problem though is that the white paint is chipped on my set which you may be able to see in the picture.

Playing Cards

When I first saw this I didn't know these would be a mini set, and by mini I mean same exact size as a box of Tic-Tacs. There's no reason these cards shouldn't have been full size. The only thing really special about these cards is that the back feature a decent pattern of an angel winged Duke and the radioactive logo. The front of the cards are nothing special, they didn't even use Duke as the King. Major wasted opportunity.

Certificate of Authenticity

Nothing really to see here, although it is unusual for a collector's edition of a video game to have a CoA so points for originality. Each one is indivdually numbered though which is a nice touch. Mine is number 123,071 by the way. I think they made a few to many of these things.

I must say that this collector's edition features a lot of physical merch which I love. A lot of CE's nowadays are more about digital content than merchandise which I think is a big letdown. Especially since most of that stuff will see it's way onto XBLA/PSN as paid DLC a few months after release. The lack of any decent physical swag was the main reason I didn't buy the N7 Edition of Mass Effect 3 this year. Other than getting some browny points for that, this CE is just so-so. It looks and sounds really cool from the outside but once you get your hands on it, it's not as impressive as it first seemed, along with the fact that a few of the items included are just Duke branded gambling items and a big sticker. The regular edition of the game retails for about $10 now so I guess it's up to you if doubling that price is worth the stuff you get.